Safety device



April 21, 1925.

2- Sheets-Sheet 1 E. A. CCPELAND SAFETY DEVICE Filed May 5, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E. A. COPELAND SAFETY DEVICE Filed May 5. 1921 *hy I I l l I I I I I I I I I I I I ---r April 21, 1925'.

Patented Apr. 21, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,534,350 PATENT OFFKIE.

EUGENE Ai COPELAND, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HOBBS MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

SAFETY DEVICE.

Application filed May 5,

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, EUGENE A. COPELAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of WVorcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have in vented a new and usefulImprovement in a Safety Device, of which the following, together with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to a safety device that is adapted to be applied to that type of machines which embody stationary and reciprocating work engaging elements for the performance of some pressing or forming operation, or the like.

The object of my invention is to provide means for automatically rendering the work engaging elements inoperative whenever an obstruction is placed therebetween, the use ful purpose of my invention being to prevent injury to the hand or fingers of an operator in case the hand or fingers are accidentally placed between the work engaging elements.

My improved device, while applicable to machines of various types, is herein shown as applied to the box form of a box ending machine. Such a machine is adapted to press a suitable end blank onto the end flanges of a box blank carried by the box form, and I have shown only so much of the machine as is necessary to illustrate the character of my invention.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a box ending machine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1.

1' 4C is a side elevation of so much of a box ending machine as is necessary to illustrate my invention, a portion of said figure being shown in transverse section.

l ig. 5 is a perspective view of a box blank that is adapted to be placed on the box form shown in the drawings.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

Referring to Fig. l, the box form is mounted on a carrier or erosshead 1, that is slidably mounted on a frame 2, only a portion of which is shown. A shaft 3 is journalled on the frame 2, and rotation is 1921. Serial No. 467,131.

imparted thereto from any suitable source of power. The crosshead 1 is connected to the shaft 3 by any suitable means, such as a pitman 1*, whereby rotation of the shaft 3 will cause reciprocatory movement of the head on the-frame 2 with respect to a stationary anvil portion.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the box form comprises a pair of bracket shaped supporting members 5 that are mounted in side by side relation on a screw shaftfi that is mounted in suitable bearings 7 carried by the crosshead 1. The shaft 6' is oppositely threaded over equal portions of its length, as indicated at 6 and (3 'The bracket members 5 are provided with lugs 8 that are internally threaded to receive the shaft 6 and are respectively provided with a slot 9 for receiving the upper portion of the crosshead 1. The shaft 6 is adapted to be turned by any suitable means, such as the application of a tool thereto, and such rotation will cause the members 5 to be moved toward or away from each other in accordance with which direction the shaft 6 is turned.

A presser member 10 is pivotally mounted on each of the members 5 by means of a pin 11 supported between a pair of ears 12 extending upwardly from the top of member 5. Eachmember 10 is provided with a recess 13 within which is seated a spring 14, the bottom of which rests on a boss 15-provided on the member 5. The spring 14 is adapted to turn the member 10 upwardly about its pivot pin 11, and an adjustable stop is provided beyond the pivot pin 11 to limit the movement of the member 10 by the spring 14.

As shown herein, the stop consists of a bolt 16 in threaded engagement with a projiection 17 of the member 10, the end of the bolt 16 being in engagement with a shoulder 18 of the member 5. A look nut 1.9 is provided to maintain the bolt 1.6 in any desired position, the normal position of the bolt being such that the top of the member 10 is substantially parallel with the under surface of the anvil portion a. It is to be understood that any other suitable form of stop may be employed for limiting the pivotal movement of the presser members 10 7 toward the anvil portion.

Each presser member 10 is further provided at its free end with an arm 20 extending in the direction of the other member 10, the arms 20 being secured together by any suitable means, such as a screw 21. The arms 20 are each cut away as indicated at 22, so that they may slide upon each other, and a slot 23 is provided in one of the arms 20 to allow movement of the screw therein when the arms 20 are moved relatively to each other. The two presser members 10, together with the arms 20, thus form a rectangular frame that is adapted to support the end of a box blank 2%, such as is illustrated in Fig. 5, the blank 2% being provided with end flanges 25 which are adapted to be supported on the outer edges of the members 10 and the arms 20. It is obvious that the whole box form ca be adjusted to receive box blanks of different sizes by turning the shaft 6 and thereby causing the bracket members 5, together with their associated presser members 10, to be moved toward or away from each other, as desired.

Referring again to Fig. l, a rod 26 extends through an opening in the boss 15 on each of the bracket members 5, and is provided at its end with a 27. The rod 26 is surrounded by a sping 28 that extends between a collar 29, on the rod 26, and a portion of the member The spring 28 tends to move the rod 26 in the direction of a lug 3O projecting downwardly from the bottom of the presser member 10. The rod 26 extends through the rear of the memher 5 and is connected at its end to a rocker arm 31, by means of a pin 32 which is adapted to move in a slot 33 provided in the arm 31. The arm 31 is pivotally mounted on a pin carried by the member The lower end of the arm 31 is provided with a roller As best shown in Fig. l, a bar 36 is provided with a plurality of projections 37 that are secured to a shaft 38 which is rotatably mounted in bearings 39 carried by the crosshead 1. The bar 36 extends substantially parallel to the screw shaft 6 so that it is adapted to engage the rollers in any position of the members 5. The shaft 38 extends beyond one of the bearings 39 and is provided with an arm 40 that is rigidly secured to the shaft 33 by means of a set screw 4-1, so that the shaft 38 and the rod 36 are adapted to move as a unit with the arm -10.

Referring again to Fig. 4, an adjustable link 42 is connected at its upper end to the arm 4-0, and at its lower end to a lever 43. The lever 43 is pivotally mounted on the frame 2, as shown at 44, and a roller 45 is mounted on the lever 41-3 intermediate its ends. The roller 4-5 is adapted to operate on the surface of a cam that is carried by the shaft 3. The (am 46 is so proportioned that the lever 43 will be moved upwardly about its pivot on the upward stroke of the crosshead l and so maintain the bar 36 in engagement with the rollers 35, in which position the 27 are held from beneath the lugs 30 against the action of the springs 28. The cam 46 is provided with a depression, indicated at 17, which is entered by the roller 4-5 just before the crosshead 1 reaches the upper limit of its movement toward the anvil portion 4-, for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

Having thus described the various parts entering into my invention, the operation thereof as follows: After the box form has been adjusted for the size of the box blanks which it is desired to use, by positioning the bracket members 5, a box blank 24 is placed thereon with the flanges resting on the presser members 10 and their associated arms 20. The rotation of shaft 3 causes an end blank, not shown, to be fed in the usual manner to a position on top of the end flanges 25, a suitable adhesive being applied to one or both of the parts of the box. The continued rotation of shaft 3 *auses the crosshead 1 to be moved upwardly in the direction of the anvil portion 4t.

ln placing the box blank 2&- on the box form, it so nctimes happens that the operator gets his hand or lingers caught between the top of the presser members 10 and the anvil portion a, and it is obvious that should the members 10 be rigidly connected to the bracket members 5, the hand or fingers of the operator would be crushed between the anvil portion 2 and the presser members 10. As previously described, however, the bar 36 engages the rollers at the beginning of the upward stroke of the crosshcad 1, and the gaps 27 are held from beneath the lugs 30 on the presser members 10. The cam i6 is so proportioned that the 27 are held in their retracted position until the top of the box form reaches a point in close proximity to the anvil portion a, say to a point within one q artcr of an inch there'lron'i, so close as to prevent the entry of an ope!- ators hand or fingers between the anvil pow tion a and the presser members 10.

7 if then, the hand or lingers of the operator should be accidel'itally caught between the presser members 10 and the anvil por tion at on the. upward stroke of the crosshead l, the presser members 10 will be free to turn about the pivot pins ll and thus pro vide a yieldable box blank support between the anvil portion 4 and the crosshead l. The position occupied by the presser members 10, when this occurs, is indicated in Fig. i. The crosshead 1 will then reach the upper end of its stroke without crushing the hand or fingers of the operator, who may withdraw the same as soon as the crosshead starts on its downward stroke.

When the presser members 10 approach the anvil portion 4: without encountering any obstruction, the gags 27 are adapted to be moved between the lugs 30 and the members 5 and thereby provide a rigid connection between the presser members and the crosshead 1. This occurs when the roller as on the arm 13 enters the depression $7 on the cam e6, whereupon the bar 36 will. be moved away from the rollers 35 and allow the springs 28 to drive the gags 27 home, as shown in Fig. 2. The members 10 will then be rigidly connected to the crosshead 1 and the end blank will be firmly pressed on the end flanges by contact with the stationary anvil portion a. As the crosshead 1 starts on its downward stroke, carrying with it the shaft 38, continned rotation of the shaft and the cam el-(S will cause the bar 36 to engage the rollers and so withdraw the gags 27 from be heath the lugs 30. The gags 27 will have been entirely withdrawn by the time the crosshead 1 reaches the lower limit of its stroke, so that the presser members 10 will again be adapted for pivotal movement about the pins 11 upon the interposition of an obstruction between the anvil member 4 and the box form.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that l have provided an improved safety device,

by means of which a box ending machine may be operated substantially without danger of injury to the hands or fingers of an operator. My improved safety device is extremely reliable in its operation, owing to the fact that it is positively actuated from the same shaft which controls the upward movementof the box form. The operation of the safety device is thereby rendered independent of any ca-lipering action between the anvil portion and the presser members such, as has characterized prior machines. l urthermm'e, my improved device may be readily incorporated in an adjustable box form, by reason of the fact that each bracket member, together with its pivoted presser member forms a complete unit that is capable of ready adjustment with respect to the other unit.

While I have shown my device as applied to a particular arrangement of the parts of a box ending machine, it is not so limited, but may be as readily applied to other machines of the same general type, and I desire there fore that only such limitations be imposed thereon as come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a stationary anvil portion, a yieldable reciprocatory adjustable box form adapted to cooperate with said anvil portion, and a rotatable shaft for ac tuating said box form, of cam controlled mechanism operable by said actuating shaft for rendering said box form rigid at a predetermined point in its movement toward said anvil portion."

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a stationary anvil portion, a reciprocatory adjustable box form having a yieldable press-er member pivotally mounted thereon, and a rotatable memher for actuating said box form, of cam controlled mcchanism operable by said rotatable member for rendering said presser member rigid at a predetermined point in its movement toward said anvil portion.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a stationary anvil portion, a reciprocatory box form comprising a late ally movable supporting member having a yieldable presser member pivotally mounted thereon, and a rotatable member for actuating said box form, of a movable gag for rendering said presser member rigid, and means operable by said rotatable member for controlling the movement of said gag.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a stationary anvil portion, a reciprocating box form comprising laterally movable supporting member hav ing a yieldahle presser member pivotally mounted thereon, a rotatable member for actuating said box form, and a cam carried by said rotatable member, of a movable gag operableby said cam for preventing pivotal movement of said presser member at a predetermined point in its movement towards said anvil portion.

Dated this 21st day of April, 1921.

EUGENE A. COPELA Ni), 

